Potato-digger



(No Model.)

- B. D. PRENTIGE.

POTATO BIGGER.

5 W2. Hm. 8 WW. m? L M 2m F Y d I M1 B m .m w m t m a I P W I 6 E 3 n wM, V N

ATTORNEYS.

NiT D STATES- PATENT Denies, f i

f nunronp n. Panama, or CASTALIA, onio.

"[POTATQ-DIGGER.

sPncI'rrcnrIon formingjpart of Letters Patent No, 316,657, dated April28, 12s 5. I I v Application filed May 13, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURTON D. PRENTIOE,

of Gastalia, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Potato-Diggers, of which the fol- ;lowingis a full, clear, and exact description. 1 Reference is to behad to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in

part being broken away.

which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures.

Figure l is a plan view of lily-improvement, Fig. 2 is a sectional sideelevation of the same, taken through the line yy, Fig.1.

\ Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation of the same,

'" .2 The object of this'inventionis to; facilitate A represents thedrive wheels, the axle B of which passes through the upper parts of theside plates, 0. The upper edges of the side plates, 0, are connected bya frame, D.

To the lower edges of the forward parts of the plates 0 is attached thescoop E, by which the potatoes and the soil in which they are embeddedare separated from the ground. To the upper parts of the forward ends ofthe side plates, 0, are hinged the ends of the bail F, to an eye in thecenter of which the draft is applied. The rear edge of the scoop E isslotted to receive the forward ends of the bars G, which are placedparallel with each other, and have teeth formed upon their upper edges.Every other bar G is pivoted near its ends to cranks formed upon oneside of the crank-shafts H, and the other bars G are pivoted to cranksformed upon the other sides of the said crank-shafts, so that half thebars G will be up when the other half is down, as shown in Fig. 3, andthe two sets will move up and down successively. The crank-shafts Hrevolve in bearings in the lower parts of the side plates, 0. Thejournals of the crankshafts H at one end project, and to them areattached small gear-wheels I, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth ofthe front and rear lower parts of the large gear-wheel J, placed looseupon the axle B.

taken through the broken v with clutch-teeth L formed upon or attachedto the axle B.

I Upon the outer end of the hub of the gearv wheel J are formedclutchteeth K to engage J Upon the axle B, or upon sleeves or coilars irigidly attached to the said axle, are formed ratchet-teeth M, withwhich engage pawls N, pivoted to the hubs of the wheels A, so that theforward movement of the wheels A, or of either of the said wheels, willrevolve the axle) B and drive the gear-wheels J. The faces of the wheelsA are provided with teeth or con rugations to take hold of the groundand pre vent the said wheels from slip'pingi wheel J is formed anannular groove in which rests the forked rear end of the spring 0, the

forward end of which is rigidly attached to the frame D or side plate,0, and whichis so Upon the inner end of the hub of thegeai formed aswhen left free to hold the gear-T 5 wheels J in gear with the clutchteeth L.-

To the spring 0 is rigidly attached the outer end of the bar P,whichpasses through a slot in the frame D or side plate, 0, and restsupon the center bar of the said frame.

Upon the inner end of the bar 1? is formed an arm, Q, which projectsupward at the farther side of the tongue R, and is inclined upon itsinner side, as shown in Fig. 3. The inclined side of the arm Q restsagainst the farther side of the tongue B, so that when the forward endof the machine is forced upward the said bar Band the spring 0 will bedrawn inward, forcing the gear-wheel J out of gear with the clutch-teethL and stopping the revolution of the said gear-wheel.

To the central bar of the frame D, a little in the rear of its center,is hinged the rear end of the tongue It, by means of which the machineis guided, and which isv strengthened against side strain by braces orhounds S, the forward ends of which are attached to the opposite sidesof the said tongue R,and their rear ends are hinged to the side bar ofthe frame D.

To supports attached to the tongue R is piv oted at its angle the leverT, which projects downward through a slot in the said tongue, and isconnected by a link, U,with the front cross-bar of the frame D, so thatthe front of the frame D, and with it the forward ends of the sideplates, 0, and the scoop E, can be raised and lowered by operating thesaid lever T.

ICO

The lever T is provided with a spring-pawl, T, to engage with a toothedcatch-plate, T attached to the tongue R,so that the said lever T, andwith it the scoop E, will be held securely in any position into whichthey may be adjusted. With this construction, when the lever T isoperated to raise the scoop E from the ground, the bar 1? bears againstthe lower left-hand corner of the tongueR and is forced l0 inward,throwing the gear-wheel J out of gear with the axle B. As the scoop E islowered into working position the bar 1? is withdrawn from the tongue R,allowing the spring 0 to throw the gear-wheel J again into gear with theaxle B.

To the lower left-hand corner of the tongue R is attached a smallfriction plate or wheel,

, @V, to preventthe under side of the tongue from being worn by thefriction of the bar P.-

2Q-W'ith this construction, when the machine is -drawn forward with thescoop E in working position, the potatoes and soil raised by the 7 saidscoop will pass back upon the bars G, by

the movements of whichthesoilwill be shaken 5 from the potatoes and willfall through the spaces between the said bars to the ground,-

, and the potatoes will be carried back by the bars G, and will fallfrom the rear of the said bars to the ground, ready to be gathered.

When the machine is drawn forward with the scoop E raised out of theground,the gear will be out of gear with the axle and the bars 1 G willnot be vibrated.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent' 1. In a potato-dig er, the combination of thedrive-wheels,ax1e B, and gear-wheel J,Witli the side plates, 0, hungloosely on the axle B,

.one end to frame D and engaging the gearat its outer end with a clutchmechanism connecting the drive-shaft and gear J, whereby, when theforward end of the tongue is raised or the scoop elevated ,the inclinedextension Q will cause the lever Pto operate the clutch mechanism todisengage the gear-wheel J from the drive-wheel, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination,with the drive-wheelA, provided with clutch-teeth L,of theaxle B, gearwheel J mounted loosely thereon and provided withclutch-teeth .K, frame D, side plates,

0, plates G, crank-shaft H, pinion I on the same meshing with thegear-wheel J, tongue R,'pivoted to frame D, spring 0, secured at 5 wheel.I with its free end,.bar P, secured rigidly atone end to the spring 0,and projecting-at right angles thereto, beveled extension. Q, projectingupon the side of the tongue opposite to wheel J ,and an adjustingmechanism connecting theframe D and the tongue.

BURTON D. PREN I'OE Witnesses: Q i

H. S. PEEKE, L. H. GOOIDWIN.

